


Remembrance

by THEBULLSHITZONE



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Angst, Canon Universe, Episode: s03e04 Children of Earth - Day 4, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Season/Series 05, Series 03 Fix-It: Children of Earth (Torchwood), Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-23 08:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30052530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/THEBULLSHITZONE/pseuds/THEBULLSHITZONE
Summary: A story where in which a dying Rory is not taken by the cracks in time, but instead it takes a dying Ianto. This erases Ianto from history and everyone's memory, including Jack.But things are never so simple for Jack Harkness. He'll never just forget someone like Ianto Jones. And he'll never just not save the Universe
Relationships: Eleventh Doctor & Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper & Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friend! Thank you for clicking on this fic! It means everything to me :). I hope this fic interests you because it means a lot to me. I plan to update in the near future, and try to get a chapter out a week.

It all happened so fast. One minute they were upright, fighting side by side. But in an instant, Jack Harkness found himself on the ground. Holding Ianto. The dying Ianto. Jack was choking on the poison air around the two men, poisoned by the 456.

Ianto.

All Jack could do was hold Ianto. Beautiful, crying Ianto.

“This is all my fault.” 

Ianto looked straight into Jack’s watering eyes. “No it’s not,” He whispered.

Don’t speak, save your breath,” Jack said, and cupped Ianto’s face. Ianto looked back at Jack, tears welling his eyes.

“I love you,” he choked out.

Jack opened his mouth to say something to this revelation. But no words came out. At least, none before another voice entered their conversation. 

“No.”

Jack turned to the source of the voice. Or voices, coming from the glass box. The 456. Just the sound of the unearthly voices filled Jack with rage.

“What do you mean no???” He shouted, turning to face the 456, still holding Ianto. “You’re killing him! You’re killing everyone in this building!”

“Jack what’s going on?” Ianto whispered.

“Look behind you.” The 456 said, fear in its voice.

Jack whipped his head around to the wall opposite the 456’s tank. There was a crack in the wall, from which a pure white light sprung. Unnaturally white and seemed to radiate heat and cold. The light seemed to have no source beyond the crack. No light bulbs, beams or suns to explain it. It simply existed. 

It scared the shit out of Jack.

He turned back to the 456. “What is that?”

“We do not know.”

Jack blinked in confusion at the tank. “What do you mean you don’t know? You didn’t do that?”

“You are all ever so unlucky.”

The tank that held the 456 became engulfed in an orange fiery light that forced Jack and Ianto to turn their faces from heat. The light shot out from the top of the tank, through the ceiling and was gone.

Jack looked around the room, scanning every inch except where the crack was and the area it illuminated. There was nothing. The tank the 456 once occupied was empty.

“They’re gone.” Jack whispered. He stroked the side of Ianto’s face, still looking at the tank. “They left. Whatever that thing,” he gestured to the crack, “is, it scared them. C’mon Ianto, I can get you out of here!”

“No.”

“What?” Jack finally brought himself to look at Ianto, who still was crying. Jack brushed away one of Ianto’s stray tears and forced himself to smile.

“Ianto, they’re gone and maybe the virus is too! We’ll find you a cure.”

“Jack look at my feet.”

“What?” 

“Look.” 

Jack obeyed. The light from the crack was shining on Ianto, washing him in it’s frigid light. At his feet, the light turned from rays to vein like strands, working their way into his skin.

“What’s happening to me Jack?” Ianto said, voice quivering and breaking on his lover’s name.

Jack could only watch the scene playing before him in horror. Eventually he choked out an “I don’t know.”

Ianto grabbed the side of Jack’s face, forcing the two to lock gazes. 

“You need to run.”

“No!” Jack exclaimed. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Jack, I don’t know what…” Ianto looked down at his legs once more. Or where they used to be. There was nothing there anymore, replaced by the cruel light from the crack.

“What the hell,” Jack whispered.

“Jack listen to me.” Ianto said, pulling Jack’s focus back. “You need to go. I’m literally fading away. I’m not gonna survive. If you don’t go now this thing will get you too but you’ll be alive for every second of it!”

Jack hastily wiped a tear from his eye. “I can’t leave you Ianto Jones. I don’t know what’s going to happen to you.”

“I don’t either.” Ianto smiled sadly at Jack, his voice still thick with tears. “It was good, yeah?

Jack tried to reply verbally, but the tears got the better of him. All he could do was nod. 

“Good. Now run!” Ianto paused a minute, regaining his words. “Don’t forget me.” 

“Never.” 

Seconds after he said this, Jack realized he was holding nothing. 

He ran. 

↶↷

Jack woke up from death just as suddenly and painfully as all the others, gasping for air. He immediately got a mouthful of linen. He gagged and frantically pulled the linen out of his mouth, revealing that the lined cloth was in fact a shroud that covered his whole body. After much unnecessary struggle, Jack managed to pull the shroud off, sat up, and took in his surroundings. He was in a staff lounge of some sort, complete with fraying couches, tables and an ancient vending machine. But the decor of the room wasn’t what caught Jack’s attention.

Every inch of available floor space was taken up by white shrouds and their accompanying bodies. Jack’s stomach turned at the sight.

“Something’s happened,” Jack thought, “and I died again. But where am I?”

His questions were to be answered soon enough. The door on the wall perpendicular to him opened. 

“Jack?” asked a woman’s voice; shaky, quiet and unmistakably Welsh.

“Present!” Jack said with a little suit and turning to look at Gwen. 

“JACK!” Gwen bounded across the room toward Jack, enveloping him in a massive hug, which Jack gratefully returned. Unfortunately, both parties knew the hug couldn’t last forever, so eventually Jack pulled away. Immediately, the presence of the corpses was felt again and needed to be addressed.

“What happened here Gwen?”

“You don’t remember?” Gwen asked incredulously. 

“Mind giving me a refresher?”

Gwen sighed. “Right, well everything went according to plan. Mostly. I was ready with the diversion, Rhys was safe with the video, and you came here to try to stop the 456. And they left a message; we’re never coming back. Whatever you did worked!”

“The children are safe?”

Gwen smiled. “They are.”

Jack’s face broke into a grin and he let out a loud whoop of joy. “We did it!” 

“We did!” Gwen agreed. She went in for another hug and Jack accepted readily. He revelled in it’s comfort for a second before it was ruined by his unquiet mind. He pulled away and faced Gwen once more.

“Wait, you said mostly according to plan. What happened?”

Gwen’s previously happy face soured. “The 456. They killed everyone in Thames House. And Clem.” 

Jack hung his head sorrowfully. “Why?”

“Why? What do you mean why? They killed you too!” Gwen exclaimed.

“I don’t remember.”

Gwen raised her eyebrow. “Is that normal?”

“You mean when I die? No. I usually remember everything.”

“Well, what’s the last thing you remember?” Gwen asked, attempting to be helpful.

Jack thought for a moment then said, “I remember entering the front doors of Thames House, then I woke up here. Did I come alone?”

“Course you did! Rhys had to have the video footage from Lois ready, and we couldn’t let those agents catch up with you. I had to distract them and I,,well, I tried to keep Clem safe.”

“You’re right.” 

But something was wrong. The pit of Jack’s stomach was sinking.

“Jack? You alright?” Gwen asked, her concern evident. “You’re crying.”

She was right. A single teaser was gliding down Jack’s cheek. He wiped at it and stared at his hand.

“Jack?”

The man in question took a deep breath and looked at Gwen. He forced himself to smile.

“Perfectly fine and ready to get out of here!” 

Gwen led him out of the room of corpses and back to the land of living, and Jack’s mind couldn’t rest. There would be so much to do, so much fall out he and Gwen would be responsible for cleaning up. Frobisher and the other officials had to be brought to justice for they had almost done. And so many people had to be told of their loved one’s deaths. It would be a long time before he, Gwen and Rhys would have any rest.

But one thought haunted Jack most of all.

What happened at Thames House and what had he forgotten? 

↶↷

Not too far away, 11 years in the future. The Doctor and his companions, Amy and Rory escaped the Silurian city without incident.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack, Gwen, and Rhys are beginning to piece their lives back together. But discoveries at the bomb site will make this harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, chapter 2 is finally here! Very excited. Not sure how good it is, but I hope you enjoy. This was kind of my housekeeping chapter; take care of loose ends from Children of Earth and set up the future of the story so next time, things can get a little more intense. Enjoy :)

It didn’t take long for Agent Johnson and her colleagues to catch up with Jack and Gwen. 5 minutes actually. They had barely made it out from the office building being used as a makeshift morgue when Johnson stepped from an alley in front of the two former Torchwood operatives.

“Stop right where you are,” She commanded. “Don’t even think about running away. You’re surrounded on all sides and we have snipers in undisclosed locations.”

“Bloody hell,” Gwen muttered, then raised her voice. “ What the hell do you people want now? The 456 are gone! Why do you still want us dead?!?”

“Oh no, we don’t want you dead anymore.”

This was news to Gwen and Jack.

“Then what’s with the snipers?” Jack asked, scanning the windows of nearby buildings.

“They are only to be used as a necessary precaution.” Johnson replied curtly. “Everyone is grateful for your actions yesterday, Harkness. But our gratitude only extends so far.”

Jack raised his eyebrow. “What do you want?” 

“For the governments of the United Kingdom and States of America’s involvement with the 456 to be kept… clandestine. And that you will destroy all video footage obtained from private meetings.” 

“Or?” 

“Or we’ll shoot Cooper here, and dispose of Mr. Williams, Miss Habiba and the Carters.”

“Then we’ll delete it.” Gwen answered before Jack could process what Johnson had said. This mention of Alice and Steven unsettled him.

“I need to check on them when I have a chance…” Jack thought.

“Thank you for your cooperation.” Johnson said, bringing Jack to the present.

“I’ll call Rhys right now.” Gwen fumbled to get a cell phone out of her pocket and dialled Rhys’ number. The phone only rang once before Rhys picked up. Jack could only hear Gwen’s side of the conversation, but he felt he had a clear picture.

“No Rhys, I’m telling you, delete the video now!” A pause. “We’ll be okay if we get rid of it! Just do it!” And with a slam, Gwen shut her phone. She looked at Johnson.  
“He’s doing it.”

Johnson smiled smugly. “Thank you Cooper. We’ll be monitoring your computer for a while to make sure you keep your promise.” She gave a thumbs up in the air and Jack and Gwen heard the shuffling of footsteps behind them, moving away. Johnson began to turn away from them before Jack interrupted.

“Hold on a second!” 

“What?” Johnson said, turning back around.

“You’re just gonna leave us here with no money, no job and no way to get anywhere?”

Johnson threw up her hands. “What do you want? A ride?”

“Yes!” Gwen interjected,” We just saved the world, as well as your government’s reputation!”

“Very well.” Johnson reached for the walkie talkie, clipped to her shoulder and spoke into it. “Harrison, get me a car ready to drive and 200 pounds cash at my current location.”

“And?” Gwen added.

“What do you want? Don’t press your luck.” Johnson hissed.

“The ability to scavenge the remains of our base.”

“Absolutely not! Anything that remains of your base is now property of the United Kingdom!”

“Let us or we’ll…” 

“We’ll give you the technology that let us bug the meetings.” Jack finished for his friend. “All my personal belongings were in the Hub. You’d be getting a pretty sweet deal.”

“Jack no!” Gwen whispered, which he elected to ignore.

Johnson considered a moment, then sighed and reached for the walkie. 

“Harrison, let Cardiff authorities know that former Torchwood agents Harkness and Cooper have full clearance to the bomb site.” She turned back to Jack and Gwen. “Now, how did you do it? Be honest or you and all your associates will be in… hot water.”

Jack smiled. “Bug inside Miss Habiba’s shoe heel.”

Just after Jack finished his sentence, a black SUV came to a stop next to the group. A boring looking man got out of the car and tossed a set of keys and a paper bag to Johnson. She gingerly handed both items to Jack. “I never want to see you two or Williams ever again.”

Jack looked over at Gwen and smiled. “You think we can do that Cooper?” 

Gwen linked arms with Jack and returned his smile. “I think we’ll manage.” And with that, the two former Torchwood agents got in their new car. 

The second the car door was closed, both Gwen and Jack took a deep breath. After a too long silence, Gwen turned to look at Jack. 

“They’re just going to get away with it huh? What the government; our government almost did.”

“Yup. What choice did we have?”

“None.” Gwen looked down at her hands folded in her lap. “I’m glad you lied about Lois… But what if they figure it out?” 

“Lois is smart. Plus we gave her a list of possible escape excuses, and I can stick to a list.”

“You’re right.” Gwen said with a sigh.

“Now c’mon. Aren’t you hungry? I’m starving.” Jack said, turning the key in the ignition. “Plus you’re pregnant. Let’s go get your baby daddy and some fast food.”

“Shut it you!” Gwen laughed, punching her friend’s arm. 

But as Jack pulled the car away, both the driver and passenger did not truly feel the playfulness they displayed.

↶↷

Jack, Gwen and Rhys arrived in Cardiff a few hours before sunset. Roald Dahl Plass was still in tatters by the time Jack managed to weave the SUV through roadblock after roadblock. They were finally stopped for good at Bute Plaza. They all elected to leave the car on the side of the road and walk the rest of the way. They got as far as the Millennium Center before they were stopped once more by a police barricade and two officers.

“Stop right there.” The taller of the two officers said, holding a hand out.

“Captain Jack Harkness.” He showed the officer his Torchwood ID. “This is Gwen Cooper and her consort Rhys.”

“Consort?!?” Rhys exclaimed. 

Jack ignored him and continued. “We were given clearance to look through all items excavated from the bomb site.”

“Yes, we got a call from MI5 or some others of the sort. Verified your clearance. See that tent over there?” The same officer pointed to a neon yellow canopy with folding tables under it.

“Thank you. We won’t be long.”

And so the tree made their way across the scaffolding laid out over the cracked ground. They were met by another officer at the canopy. He sighed at the sight of them. “If you’re here to look at the debris, there isn’t much. Mostly everything was incinerated. The bomb was bloody thorough.”

“You’re telling me.” Jack thought bitterly. 

He put on his best fake smile for the cop. “We shouldn’t be too long then.” 

The cop shrugged his shoulders and wandered away, leaving Jack, Gwen and Rhys all alone.

“I’m going to get information from the pcs.” Gwen stated, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets. “You stay with Jack, Rhys.” 

Rhys shrugged and followed Jack as Gwen trotted away to speak with other police officers. The two men turned their attention to the contents of the canopy. 

The cop hadn’t lied; there really was little left intact. A broken computer monitor, a couple slightly melted firearms, and a half broken and singed coffee mug. When he came upon a charred scalpel, Jack’s heart grew heavy. He put it next to the broken monitor, one he was sure once belonged to Tosh. 

“This is all I have left of Tosh and Owen.” Jack thought sadly. “All that’s still here; all that I can touch.” He felt the familiar prick of tears in the corner of his eye. He quickly wiped at them before Rhys could have time to notice. 

“I never forget. Not a face. As long as I live. Owen Harper. Toshiko Sato. I’ll never forget you.” 

“Hey Jack?” The man in question looked over to Gwen, coming back from her conversation with the cops.

“What’s up?”

“I just got back from talking to the head officer on scene about any bodies; dead that is. From our morgue.” 

“And?”

Gwen put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Nothing. They were all incinerated. I think that includes… Well it includes Gray.”

“Oh.” was all Jack could think. He swallowed and looked at the ground. 

“Are you going to be okay?” Gwen asked, her concern evident.

“Yeah,” He replied. “I wish I could have given him a second chance… Found a way to redeem myself to him. But it’s too late now I suppose. On me for waiting too long.”

“Oh Jack!” Gwen hugged him tightly. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you.” Jack hugged back. 

“Oi Jack!” Gwen and Jack looked over to see Rhys, holding up a large box, flat and black. “This box survived the explosion! Must be some real top secret stuff.” 

“Interesting, let me see.” Jack said, detaching himself from Gwen and reaching for the box. It immediately surprised him with it’s lightness and the fact it was cardboard.

“This is flimsy as hell, how did it survive?!?” Jack wondered aloud.

“Beats me.”

Jack turned over the box in his hands. It was a gift box for clothing, barely taped shut with Scotch tape. It was completely uninjured, and a complete enigma. 

Just the act of holding it made Jack sick to his stomach.

“What is it Jack?” Gwen asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Not sure, let’s find out.” 

He pried off the lid and carefully set the lid down.

It was a suit. A full one, done up and folded inside the box. Black jacket, pink shirt and a matching tie. The sight of it made Jack’s already sick stomach more nauseous. 

Gwen peered down at the suit. “Whose is that?” She reached for the shirt’s tag. “Doesn’t look like your style.” 

“Not my size either.” Jack replied. “It must have been Owen’s.But in what world would he wear something like this?” 

Gwen smiled sadly at this. “Can’t imagine him in something like this either.”

Jack shrugged. “I think it’s more likely Tosh had a secret career as a drag king.”

They both laughed at this, a little too long for comfort. It was followed by a brief, awkward silence, where neither Gwen or Jack could look at each other. His eyes couldn’t leave the immaculately preserved suit in his hands. He ran a hand over the suit, before Gwen finally spoke. 

“Jack, where are you going to stay?”

He brought himself to look at his friend. Her face was incredibly sad, and full of concern. Jack gave her his best fake smile. 

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ll find myself a room in a five star hotel with my blackmail money.” 

Gwen scoffed at this. “But that’s not going to last you forever!” 

“What are you suggesting?”

“Well…”

“She’s suggesting you stay with us,” Rhys cut in. Both Jack and Gwen turned to look at him, regretting they had completely forgotten about his existence.

“I’m okay with you stayin’ Jack. Not forever, but your house did blow up. Long as you help tidy up. I think those agents did a fuckin’ number on our flat.”

Jack was a bit taken aback at this. 

He grabbed Rhys’ hand and shook it firmly. “Thank you.”

Rhys gripped back just as firmly. “Don’t make a big deal out of it mate.” 

Gwen made it her turn to interrupt, by hugging Rhys tightly. 

“Thank you.”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it now.” He said, breaking the hug and wrapping an arm around Gwen’s shoulder. “Let’s go home, yeah? I’m bloody tired.

“Right, yeah. Home.” 

↶↷

Jack was never great at keeping promises. He didn’t contribute at all to the effort to clean the wrecked Cooper-Williams apartment. All he did was throw down the suit in the box, (which now constituted all of his belongings,) swept off the broken glass from the couch, and passed out. 

To his credit, Gwen and Rhys essentially did the same thing. 

↶↷

When he woke up hours later, it was dark outside. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, squinting to look around the darkened room. 

It had been truly torn apart. Broken glass was everywhere, and pictures, books and other assorted knickknacks littered the floor. The coffee table had been flipped on its head. 

“Well Rhys didn’t lie about the mess.” Jack thought. “But flipping tables seems a bit much, even for me.” 

Jack let his eyes continue to drift around his surroundings absentmindedly, still waking up. He was still very tired.

“I should go back to bed…”

He began to shift to lie back down, but one thing caught Jack’s eye. 

The suit box. 

He reached for it and pried the lid off. The suit was still there, without a wrinkle. 

“Who do you belong to?” Jack whispered aloud. 

The suit of course, did not respond.

Jack sighed. “Great, I’m talking to a suit.”

But he didn’t take his eyes off of it, despite how his stomach churned and heart raced. Careful not to ruin the perfect folding, he brought it to his nose and breathed in. Immediately, the indescribable but pleasant smell of generic laundry detergent and a whiff of… coffee? 

Before Jack could ponder this long, his stomach decided for him that it was time to put the suit down. The nausea was even worse now. Cradling his stomach, Jack laid back down on the couch and closed his eyes. He didn’t spend much longer awake after that, but his last waking thoughts were dedicated to the scent of the suit.


End file.
